[Ansteorra] Length of court/Awards/Sound Systems

[Paul Gilbert]

Greetings.......

At 10:36 PM 7/3/03 -0700, you wrote:
>Beth Turner <nellwynn0 at lycos.com> wrote:
>
>After reading through all the talk.........

I have a few things to say about these subject threads that so much time 
has spent on. Currently, my lady (H.E. Kezia) and I have the honor of 
sitting the thrones of the Barony of Raven's Fort as it's Baron and 
Baroness in Fief. We have also had the honor of standing behind the Crown 
Thrones of Ansteorra as entourage for several Crowns. Thus, this has given 
us an interesting perspective on the subject of awards, court lengths, 
sound systems and talking in court.

Let me preface this (rather long) message, that these threads touch my SCA 
activities and/or mundane life in several ways. For those that know me, I 
am not shy about giving an opinion and these subjects are ones that I 
believe I can give an educated one.

So on with the opinion.......

As the Baron of Raven's Fort, I have the privilege of giving many of these 
awards that have been suggested as ones that should be shunted off in a 
"mass announcement" style or "off line" (none court setting) of 
presentation. I am speaking mainly of the Award of Arms (AoA).

Folks.....this award is probably the most important award that we (and I 
speak as the "We" and the local voice of the Crown) can present or that one 
can receive.

In some kingdoms, your AoA is more prestiges or the scroll is more involved 
than one for a peerage. For this is the first award one usually gets and in 
about 80% of the cases, this may well be the ONLY award a person will ever 
get in their activity of the SCA. Go cruise thru the OP and check out how 
many folks have only an AoA or just one or two awards.

Baroness Kezia and I take the action of recommending someone to the Crown 
for an AoA and presenting an AoA very seriously. I am not going to go thru 
my entire list of reasons here, but needless to say, the AoA is/can be a 
beginning of a glorious career or the end of it in the SCA. Thus, the 
ramifications of awarding it need to be very carefully considered.

Someone during the thread left me with the impression that the AoA was not 
"important" enough to call an individual up in court and give them their 
minutes of fame. I whole heartily disagree and as long as Kezia and I sit 
on the chairs of Raven's Fort we will give all their due. If ones looks at 
the actual amount of time taken in most of the award presentations, it is 
counted in single digit minutes.

Take the time, give them their moment of fame.

Yes, the time adds up. BUT, it is not that much and how would you feel if 
you were in their shoes and got handed your AoA off-line/not in court 
because of a policy of not presenting AoA's in court. I have more on the 
length of court in a moment.

Beside (and someone correct me if I am wrong) but for an award to be valid, 
it has to be "read into law" in court. Thus, it still has to be done in court!

So, before someone jumps up and says....."Oh, but what we do should not 
only be about getting cookies and awards for one's-self"...just save it and 
I can assure you that even the most humble person that has ever been given 
an award, honor, fame, reward or whatever...at some point....says to 
themselves or their little voice goes...."Yipppppeeeee".

It is human nature that we are creatures driven by acceptance and 
appreciation. Some have a higher need for it than others....but VERY few 
people can sustain a level of anything with out some kind of positive 
feedback. The giving of "Awards or Rewards" is a basic method of giving 
that feedback that keeps them coming/working and most of all...enthused 
about what and why we do it.

Now, there are "awards" and then there are "rewards". These categories of 
things and actions are not mutually-inclusive. They can be separate and 
distinct, yet the same. I will not address that pit of opinion here, as it 
can get lengthy and very opinionated.

Think about it really long, slow and hard.

Ahhhhhh, the length of court. Most often evening court. Usually after 
feast, but not always.

This subject has more opinions, solutions and problems that stars in the 
sky. I can only say that until one sits in the "chairs", autocrats and 
event, wrangles /organizes a court as entourage or actually gets up there 
and helps try to help shorten the court, one should be very carefully in 
suggestions and ideas as to what to cut, shunt aside or change.

I have seen drive-bys, morning courts, courts before feast, courts after 
feast, two-three-four courts a day to keep the length of time for the Main 
court (usually in the evening) kept to a reasonable length. Sometimes this 
works, sometimes not.

Most folks that attend events regularly, know what events tend to have long 
courts. I would suggest that if you can not tolerate long courts, don't go. 
If you do go, then don't whine about the length, for you should know that 
events style, timing and unforeseen items can and will cause a long court.

I can assure you, we try not to hold court any longer than we have to. I 
want to honor my champions, winners and the deserving people, as they all 
deserve their due. Then we can eat or move onto other activities.

BUT in order to do this...it takes time.

I suggest you get up and volunteer to help do what you can to speed things 
up.  Starting with, see that people are there, the prizes are in place, the 
herald is informed correctly and whomever is holding the court has all they 
need for the court to start on time, move smoothly and timely to a 
reasonable end.

These actions include, not just what can be done directly relating to the 
court, but such as... seeing that the cook has plenty of help so they can 
serve feast on time. Help with the fighting and marshalling so they may 
finish on time. Help with whatever at the event, so that things and 
activities do not get behind and drive the schedule astray or into "SCA time".

That is how one can effectively help keep courts to a reasonable length.

Who knows...stand up, help and you might get an award/reward and then it 
will be your turn in court and that moment of fame.

Sound systems in court.......hummmmmm, really touchy here.

Let me whip this out......Webster's Dictionary.....

Anachronism: noun, Something placed or occurring out of its proper place or 
time.

We are an anachronistic society. We have to deal with current issues, 
limits and situations that the current mundane world deals us, while trying 
very hard to set an atmosphere of the Middle Ages or times that we wish to 
create at the moment.

Usually, groups do a pretty darn good job. But, the problem with halls, 
events and courts that involve lots of people, make hearing what is said by 
folks very challenging.

Folks need to do a better job, even if it means an anachronistic intrusion, 
so all can hear and enjoy what is going on.

I for years sat in many halls unable to hear what could be said. I wanted 
to hear who that was, what the Crown was saying, what the nobles or 
presenters were saying, but because of bad or none existence acoustics or 
the phobia of sound systems could not. My lip reading is a bit rusty and I 
don't have shotgun mikes for ears.

I am being a bit sarcastic here for there are ways, as well a time and 
place that sound systems need to be used. The hall at Canton is a prime 
example. The acoustics suck....

It is possible thru the use of lapel mikes, wireless mikes, disguise mikes, 
shotgun mikes and a little common sense to mike the event or activity so 
one can hear.

There are few heralds in the kingdom that can overcome a Canton type hall 
and keep it up for a couple of hours (there is that long court thing :) and 
survive the ordeal.

What to do about this? I have several thoughts, the main one being a team 
of willing volunteers that have knowledge and access to the needed 
equipment that wish to serve their Kingdom or group. The equipment is out 
there, it is not real expensive for the level of quality we need and there 
are folks that already have access to it.

Before I get shot at, not all events/courts need to be "miked".  We all 
pretty well know the events or halls that have the need.

I for one would entertain the exchange of messages and ideals on sound 
systems for the SCA online, at an event or Red Tape.

An example of where technology that was shunned and now accepted is the use 
of radios. The use of radios has helped make event staffs jobs much easier.

It is now a common sight for the event staff to have a FRS radio or some 
kind of two-way radio to coordinate needs and activities at the event. 
Helps save many steps and speeds up response times considerable.

I would not suggest wearing one in court, as that would not be a very good 
idea, but the use of such items shows how small intrusions can help make 
some parts of our activities much better for all.

The use of this these types of technology can be done. It can be done 
tastefully, it can be done economically and it is not blasphemy.

Last, but not least, the problem with the making of noise (not always 
talking) by folks in the back of the hall during court. As one that sits in 
the front, looking out at and having to hear those in the back raising the 
noise floor to a point that only the ones in the front of the hall can 
hear....this is what I suggest.....

STOP talking...go outside, go to another room or do whatever to not be 
causing this increase in the noise floor level during court.

This dove-tails in with the problem of the sound system discussion as the 
increased noise floor caused by the talking, raises the need of a sound 
system to overcome the folks talking in the back, that cause the need of a 
louder sound system, that then the ones in the back talk louder so they can 
hear themselves and so on and so on and so on.........

It is a Catch 22.

The way to stop this problem. Stop the root of the problem....the talking 
in the back of the room.

Simple solution, simple result.

BTW, I am just as guilty as anyone in doing this. However, I am also going 
to make a concerted effort to be more conscious of this and help take care 
of the problem.

I have presented a long message. For which it is my opinion and mine alone.


Flames, bombs, comments accepted...... Just my 2 rubles......

In Service,
HE Niklas Vasilevich
Baron of Raven's Fort



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paul Gilbert,   KE5ZW                   H.E. Niklas Vasilevich,
Huntsville, Texas                       Baron of The Barony Raven's Fort
niklas at pbgilbert.net                    CSM, Crane, ORH, KGA , AoA
936-291-9532 home                               Kingdom of Ansteorra
936-581-5632 cellular                           Society for Creative 
Anachronism
                               AIM Name: KE5ZW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~